Busy Bees Day Nursery at Colton Mill
Outstanding★ 3.3 on GoogleBirth to 5Open for decades
A day nursery in Leeds for children from birth to 5, open 07:30 to 18:00, 5 days a week. They do not publish prices, so that is the first thing to ask. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in February 2024. Open since 2003, with 151 places.
What you might pay
This setting does not publish its fees, and no national dataset holds them. This is what childcare costs across the council, as a starting point for the call.
What childcare usually costs in Leeds
This is not this setting's price. It is the median hourly fee across all providers in Leeds from the Department for Education's 2025 provider survey. No national data holds what an individual nursery charges, so ring and ask.
Places, hours and the day
Who they take, when they are open, and what a day there includes.
Where it is
LS15 9JBWhat the inspector found
One grade is one visit. A run of them tells you whether it has been good for years or has only just got there.
Ofsted inspector, 12 February 2024 · read the full report
What it is like to attend
Busy Bees at Colton Mill is full of confident and happy children. They excitedly explore their environment, supported by nurturing and caring staff. Children are highly motivated and engaged with their chosen activity. Pre-school children vote for the resources that they want available during the session. Staff are highly attentive and encouraging. They support children's language, introducing new words as children begin an imaginative adventure. Children get train tickets for the journey to an 'enormous forest' and 'rainbow castle'.
Babies move their bodies excitedly and clap hands as staff sing the 'Good morning'
song. They are safe and secure, raising their hands to staff, who ask, 'Can I change your nappy?' Behaviour is exceptional and children are very respectful to their friends and staff. They ask to join other children's play, asking, 'Can I build a house?,' and share resources with their friends. Staff have high expectations of behaviour and role model sharing and turn taking. Staff ask questions as they squeeze water into pipettes and ask 'What is happening?' Toddlers explore oral health as staff discuss the use of toothbrushes and how often they are used at home. Children enjoy using toothbrushes in their play.
- 12 February 2024Outstanding
- 13 February 2018Outstanding
- 14 March 2014Good
Rated Good or Outstanding at 3 of the last 3 graded inspections.
Still missing for Busy Bees Day Nursery at Colton Mill
- What it costs
- Funded hours
- Youngest age taken
- Meals
- Nappies
- Waiting list
No dataset holds any of this. Two parents telling us the same thing puts it on the page for whoever looks next.
What to ask them
None of this is in any national dataset and this setting has not published it, which is exactly why it is worth asking.
- What does it cost, all in? What is on top: meals, nappies, late pick-up, and what happens if you are late.
- Can I use my funded hours here? Whether they stretch them over the year, and the minimum days you have to book.
- Is there a place for my child's age? Baby rooms fill first and waiting lists are common.
- Who would my child's key person be? And how long have the staff been there. No dataset holds this and it matters more than anything above.
- Can I visit at a busy time? Mid-morning on a weekday tells you far more than an empty room after hours.
Day nurseries within a couple of miles
This one is first. Tick it and one or two others to see them side by side.